Background
Holter, John William was born on April 1, 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Son of Charles Robert and Favian (Erskine) Holter.
medical instrument manufacturing company executive
Holter, John William was born on April 1, 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Son of Charles Robert and Favian (Erskine) Holter.
Graduate, Spring Garden Institute, Pennsylvania, 1938. Doctor of Science, University Sheffield, England, 1976.
Shortly after birth he contracted meningitis, which caused his head to expand rapidly. As luck would have it Holter"s son was being looked after in Philadelphia, where the surgeons Nulsen and Spitz had already demonstrated that a ventricle-to-atrium diversion system could work. What they needed was an inexpensive and practical valve that could control the direction of the flow and maintain normal cranial pressure.
A chance discovery showed Holter, after a failed attempt in which a young boy died, that he could use a silicone one-way valve (pressure sealing).
After a medically suitable grade of Silastic (silicone and rubber) was found, the device was patented, and John Holter set up a company, Holter-Hausner International, to manufacture the cerebral shunts.
Vice president Montgomery County chapter for Retarded Children, 1960-1966. Public relations chairman Metric association United States, 1969. Served with Army of the United States, 1941-1945.
Member Society for Research into Hydrocephalus and Spina bifida (honorary), International Society Pediatrics Neurosurgeons (honorary), European Society Pediatric Neurosurgery (associate).