SAN FRANCISCO — Medtronic and Edwards Lifesciences have reached a global settlement of their patent litigation, wiping out two large jury awards that had raised the threat of an injunction against potentially life-saving heart valve technology.

Medtronic Inc., which had been hit with infringement verdicts of $74 million in 2010 and $394 million in January of this year, agreed to pay Edwards $750 million up front and royalties of at least $40 million a year for the next eight years.