David Mortara

David W. Mortara
Born	(1941-07-04) July 4, 1941 (age 83) Indiana, United States
Education	PhD in Physics
Alma mater	University of Illinois, Purdue University
Occupation(s)	Businessman, inventor, engineer
Years active	1966–present
Known for	Founder of Mortara Instrument, Inc.
Children	Justin Mortara [1]

David W. Mortara (born July 4, 1941 in Indiana, United States) is an American businessman, inventor, and engineer known for founding Mortara Instrument, Inc. in 1982, a former leading company in diagnostic cardiology and electrocardiography (ECG) technology. ^[2] Mortara has made contributions to the development of medical devices, particularly in the areas of ECG interpretation, digital ECG, and signal processing. ^[3]

Early life

David W. Mortara was born in Indiana and graduated from Milan High School in 1958. ^[4] Mortara earned a BSc from Purdue University in 1961, MS in 1963 from University of Illinois and PhD in physics at Purdue University in 1966. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]} His later work was in medical device engineering and innovation. From 1966 to 1973, Mortara served as a faculty member at the University of Illinois, where he contributed to research and education in physics. ^{[8] [10]}

Career

Mortara served as the manager of research and development and later as vice president of engineering at Marquette Electronics, a company later acquired by GE Healthcare. During his tenure, he developed the simultaneous 12-lead ECG acquisition system and interpretation algorithm, which became a cornerstone of modern ECG technology and is still widely used in diagnostic cardiology. His innovations at Marquette laid the groundwork for his future entrepreneurial ventures. ^{[7] [10]}

Founding of Mortara Instrument, Inc.

In 1982, Mortara founded Mortara Instrument, Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ^{[11] [10]} The company initially produced medical devices for Marquette Electronics and other firms but transitioned to selling its own branded electrocardiography equipment. Under Mortara’s leadership, the company developed a line of ECG products, including resting ECGs, Holter monitors, cardiac stress testing systems, telemedicine and ambulatory blood pressure monitors. Mortara Instrument grew from a small startup to an international leader in diagnostic cardiology, with operations in Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. ^{[7] [8] [12]}

In 2017, Mortara Instrument was acquired by Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. for $330 million. ^[7]

Patents

David Mortara holds 20 U.S. patents related to electrocardiography and medical device technology. His inventions include systems for monitoring electrode conditions and measuring muscle activity signals alongside ECG data. ^{[13] [14]}

References

1. Boulton, Guy. "Mortara Instrument to be sold". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
2. Lombardi, Leonardo (2022-07-04). "IL PIONIERE DAVID MORTARA FA VISITA ALLA CROCE BIANCA MONTICHIARI". PAESE MIO (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-03.
3. Macfarlane, Peter W.; Kennedy, Julie (2021-09-23). "Automated ECG Interpretation—A Brief History from High Expectations to Deepest Networks". Hearts. 2 (4): 433–448. doi: 10.3390/hearts2040034 . ISSN   2673-3846.
4. "Alumni/Citizenship Nomination | Milan High School". www.milan.k12.in.us. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
5. "Dollars For Scholars - Milan Community Dollars for Scholars". milan.dollarsforscholars.org. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
6. Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "Physics Advisory Board". physics.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
7. "David W. Mortara Donates $25 Million to UCSF School of Nursing | UC San Francisco". www.ucsf.edu. 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
8. Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "David Mortara". grainger.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
9. "Purdue School of Science honors distinguished alumni". www.purdue.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
10. "Heartline_dec2024-Biosignal cover story.pdf" (PDF). HeartLine - News from the Division of Cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.
11. "Our History". www.hillrom.it. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
12. "Medical instrument company Mortara expands staff, enters new markets". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
13. "David W. Mortara Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
14. "inventor:(David W. Mortara) - Google Patents". patents.google.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.