Restructuring and Other Costs, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Oct. 01, 2016	Jul. 02, 2016	Apr. 02, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Feb. 28, 2018
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Percentage of Total Workforce Eliminated, Less Than										2.00%		3.00%		2.00%
Cost of Revenues										$ 123		$ 102		$ 9
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										78		104		46
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										97		189		116
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net		$ 51	$ 131	$ 30	$ 86	$ 98	$ 150	$ 57	$ 90	298		395		171
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										106	[1]	167	[2]	90	[3]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Other Costs (Income), Net										27		(3)		1
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter										(27)		24		25
Loss (Gain) on Disposition of Property Plant Equipment												5
Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										$ 62		109		57
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments										2018
Abandonment of Excess Facilities [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										$ 27		46		19
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments										2027
Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs	[4]									$ 17		12		14
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments										2018
Life Sciences Solutions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										$ 1		31		2
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										29		36		13
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										(16)		88		65
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										14		155		80
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										48		78		40
Restructuring and Related Costs, Other Costs (Income), Net												10
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter										(64)				20
Impairment of Acquired Technology in Development														15
Loss (Gain) on Disposition of Property Plant Equipment														(3)
Loss (Gain) on Divestiture of Businesses														(8)
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Charges for Sales of Inventories Revalued at Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues												27
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation Related to Facility Consolidations [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												4		9
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Costs to Conform Accounting Policies [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues												4
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Transaction Costs Related to Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												34		6
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Transaction Costs Related to Divestiture [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs														1
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Charges for Changes in Estimates of Contingent Consideration for Acquisitions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												(2)		(2)
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Cash costs associated with headcount reductions and facility consolidations [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs														35
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										23		60		24
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Charges For Cash Compensation Contractually Due To Employees Of Acquired Business [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs														5
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Abandonment of Excess Facilities [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs										25		18		4
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs														7
Analytical Instruments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										31		63		0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										(2)		46		0
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										30		68		27
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										59		177		27
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs												68		22
Asset Writedowns														5
Analytical Instruments [Member] | Charges for Sales of Inventories Revalued at Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues												42
Analytical Instruments [Member] | Costs to Conform Accounting Policies [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues												21
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												9
Analytical Instruments [Member] | Transaction Costs Related to Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												38
Specialty Diagnostics [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										1				1
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										(2)		0		0
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										39		15		9
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										38		15		10
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs												6
Restructuring and Related Costs, Other Costs (Income), Net												(1)
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter												10
Laboratory Products and Services [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										90		8		6
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										61		1		6
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										41		17		13
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										192		26		25
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs												11		8
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter												(1)		5
Environmental Remediation Expense												8
Laboratory Products and Services [Member] | Charges for Sales of Inventories Revalued at Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										55		6
Laboratory Products and Services [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation Related to Facility Consolidations [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues												2
Laboratory Products and Services [Member] | Costs to Conform Accounting Policies [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cost of Revenues										33
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										6
Laboratory Products and Services [Member] | Transaction Costs Related to Acquisition [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										55
Corporate [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										(8)		21		27
Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										3		1		2
Total Restructuring and Other Costs (Income), Net										(5)		22		29
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs												1
Corporate [Member] | Accelerated Depreciation Related to Facility Consolidations [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses												4		8
Corporate [Member] | Product Liability, Workers Compensation and Other Personal Injury Matters [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses										$ (8)		$ 17		19
Corporate [Member] | Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Cash Costs														$ 2
Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Identified Future Restructuring Costs																$ 105

[1] Excludes $27 million of net credits associated with litigation-related matters, and $27 million of other restructuring charges, net, primarily for hurricane response/impairment, charges associated with the settlement/curtailment of retirement plans, and non-cash compensation due at an acquired business.

[2] Excludes $24 million of provision for losses on litigation-related matters; $8 million of provision for environmental remediation; $5 million of net gains on the sale of real estate; and an aggregate of $3 million of non-cash income, net.

[3] Excludes $25 million of provision for losses on litigation-related matters; $15 million of impairment of acquired technology in development; a $8 million gain on the sale of a product line; $5 million of cash compensation contractually due to employees of an acquired business on the date of acquisition; $1 million of charges associated with a previous sale of a business; and an aggregate of $1 million of non-cash charges, net.

[4] Other includes cash charges to monetize certain equity awards held by employees of Life Technologies at the date of acquisition, relocation and moving expenses associated with facility consolidations, as well as employee retention costs which are accrued ratably over the period through which employees must work to qualify for a payment.