Restricted Cash	9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2012
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and Cash Equivalents Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 2 — Restricted Cash On March 2, 2010, as part of the disposition of our former German subsidiary, the Company deposited $136,000 into a restricted escrow account to provide for the potential payment of unaccrued taxes assessed for periods prior to December 31, 2009. As of December 30, 2011, restricted cash was $129,000, a decrease of $7,000 due to the effect of foreign currency translation. The balance of funds remaining on December 30, 2011, if any, after the payment of such taxes, were to be distributed to STAAR from the escrow account. During February 2012, the Company received the full amount of the deposit.

The entire disclosure for cash and cash equivalent footnotes, which may include the types of deposits and money market instruments, applicable carrying amounts, restricted amounts and compensating balance arrangements. Cash and equivalents include: (1) currency on hand (2) demand deposits with banks or financial institutions (3) other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits (4) short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments maturing within three months from the date of acquisition qualify.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 6

-Section H

-Subsection 3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4273-108586

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 95

-Paragraph 8, 9, 10

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13728-122682

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 95

-Paragraph 7

-Footnote 1

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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