- Summits
- Sponsorship
- Retreats
- Media Opportunities
- News
- About
In the evolving landscape of medical technology, few innovations carry the promise of transforming infection management as profoundly as cold plasma therapy. At the forefront of this is Mary McGovern, CEO of Adtec Healthcare, whose journey from plasma technology engineering to medtech leadership reflects both persistence and vision. As antimicrobial resistance continues to rise globally, innovations like Adtec’s Premium Cold Plasma may become an essential part of the healthcare toolkit.
“My career began at Adtec Plasma Technology in Japan, where I immersed myself in the technical foundations of plasma-based systems. Working across product design, manufacturing and business development, I helped deliver plasma solutions for the semiconductor and solar manufacturing industries.
“During those early years, I negotiated and managed the company’s first overseas multi-million-dollar customer projects in the United States and Europe,” she recounted, an experience that would later shape her entrepreneurial ambitions.
In the early 2000s, McGovern founded Adtec Europe Ltd to launch the company’s semiconductor and solar businesses across the European market. But as the technology evolved, a new possibility began to emerge. Plasma, long used in industrial manufacturing, showed potential far beyond factories and cleanrooms. McGovern and her team began investing in research and development to explore how plasma technology could be applied to healthcare.
Those early years required patience. Scientific validation, laboratory testing and clinical trials were essential to demonstrate both safety and therapeutic value. As the evidence base grew, the opportunity became clear: plasma could address one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: infection.
The result was the creation of Adtec Healthcare, a spin-out dedicated to advancing medical applications of plasma technology. At the centre of its innovation is the SteriPlas Premium Cold Plasma device, which is now used across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The technology offers clinicians a new tool in the fight against infection, particularly in chronic and complex wounds.
Unlike traditional antimicrobial treatments that rely on antibiotics or chemical agents, Premium Cold Plasma works through a physical mechanism. The SteriPlas system generates a dense field of reactive plasma that destroys bacteria directly, including multi-drug-resistant strains and biofilm structures that are notoriously difficult to treat.
For clinicians confronting the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, this approach represents a significant shift. “By physically destroying bacteria rather than relying on antibiotics, the technology avoids the cycle of resistance that often undermines conventional treatments,” McGovern explains.
The real-world results have been striking. Thousands of clinical treatments have now been carried out using the SteriPlas system, supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research. What has impressed McGovern most is the speed at which some chronic wounds respond, particularly in cases where conventional therapies have failed.
Complex wounds that once resisted treatment are showing improvement, as plasma disrupts bacterial colonies and biofilms that prevent healing. Because the mechanism is physical rather than pharmaceutical, the therapy also prevents both primary and secondary resistance from developing.
With clinical adoption increasing, Adtec Healthcare recently secured a $12 million investment to support its global expansion. The company’s immediate focus is strengthening its presence across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, while also preparing for one of the most significant milestones in its roadmap: entry into the United States market as Adtec awaits FDA clearance.
Achieving European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) certification for SteriPlas was a major step forward. The rigorous regulatory approval reinforces the device’s safety, quality and clinical value, while opening doors to broader adoption across European healthcare systems.
Beyond wound care, the company is also investigating new applications for its plasma technology. One promising area is post-operative implant treatment, where infection remains a serious risk. Early research is exploring how SteriPlas could reduce infection rates and improve recovery outcomes in patients with implanted devices.
The technology is already being studied in the context of large-scale infection management associated with LVAD implants and catheter-related infections, supported by clinical evidence from multiple countries.
The company’s roots trace back more than four decades to plasma engineering in Japan, expertise that has been refined and translated into medical innovation.
“Our microwave-generated Cold Plasma has been engineered to deliver treatment safely, reliably and consistently,” McGovern says. “Across two decades of clinical use, there have been no reported side effects.”
Modern clinical research has enabled the development of a particularly dense and stable plasma field, one capable of penetrating deeper into chronic infections rather than just treating surface bacteria.
For McGovern, the mission remains clear: bring a powerful new infection-control technology into everyday clinical practice and improve outcomes for patients worldwide, most especially as bacteria grow more resistant.
Get featured in MedTech World Magazine, a curated publication for senior decision-makers across the global MedTech ecosystem. Distributed at MedTech World’s flagship events, each edition extends on-stage conversations into practical industry insight.
Read this edition, or apply to be featured.
The conversation continues at MedTech World Asia 2026, taking place in Hong Kong from 26–28 August 2026. Join healthcare leaders, investors, startups, clinicians, and decision-makers from across the global MedTech ecosystem for three days of discussions, networking, and opportunities across the industry.
