Distinguished Science Alumni Award
David Mortara (B.S. 1961, Physics), 2003
David Mortara is founder and president of Mortara Instrument, a medical instrumentation
company based in Milwaukee , Wisconsin that makes cost-effective and dependable
electrocardiographic systems, serving both primary care doctors and hospitals.
He has been a leader in the field of electrocardiography for some thirty
years, making several significant contributions to cardiology. As head
of engineering at what was then Marquette Electronics, he was instrumental
in the development of several products. He created the 12SL resting ECG
interpretation program, which became widely recognized as the leading
resting interpretation algorithm. Also while at Marquette , he established
the first digital ECG transmission protocol for communication of data
between electrocardiographs and a centralized storage system. He founded
Mortara Instrument in 1982. Under his leadership, the company has developed
several ECG components and algorithms that are widely recognized for their
superior performance and accuracy. Dr. Mortara serves as the industry
co-chair of the AAMI ECG Committee, which is responsible for establishing
performance standards for cardiac monitors, electrocardiographs, Holter
monitors and stress exercise equipment.
