From Science to Strength: QuantumTx–NUH MitoCharge Centre Transforming Muscle Health for All
Published: 18 May 2026
Mitocharge Muscle Health Centre @ NUH officially opened on 15th May 2026, officiating Guests of Honour cutting the ribbon at the ceremony. From left to right: Assoc Prof Alfredo Franco Obregon, Department of Surgery, NUS Medicine; Prof Lim Chwee Teck, Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS College of Design and Engineering; Prof Cheng Ching Yu, Director of Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health, NUS Medicine; Assoc Prof Asim Shabbir, Head of Department of Surgery, NUS Medicine; Ivan Goh, Chief Executive Officer of QuantumTx.
The QuantumTx-NUH MitoCharge Muscle Health Centre was launched on 15 May 2026 at the National University Hospital (NUH) Medical Centre. The new facility is dedicated to advancing muscle health through non-invasive, clinically validated technology developed in Singapore.
Featuring MitoCharge muscle-mitochondria activation technology, the Centre brings together years of clinical research and engineering innovation through a close partnership between NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and NUH.
Unlike conventional fitness centres, the Centre leverages cutting-edge magnetic muscle-activation energy to deliver aerobic training effects without physical strain. Patients and staff can consult muscle health specialists to optimise their muscle condition, with sessions designed to fit conveniently into daily routines — even during a lunch break.
Supporting Healthier Ageing and Recovery
As Singapore’s population ages, maintaining muscle health is increasingly important for independence, mobility, and quality of life. The new centre aims to meet this growing need by offering a solution that is accessible to people of different fitness levels and physical conditions.
Beyond providing services, the centre also serves as a platform for clinical collaboration and research. Clinicians from departments such as Surgery, Orthopaedics, Oncology, and Urology are already exploring how the technology can support their patients. In time, the centre is expected to support clinical trials, allowing patients to access new interventions more easily.
From Clinical Challenge to Conception
The idea for this technology came about more than 10 years ago, when Professor CN Lee, then Head of the Department of Surgery at NUH and NUS Medicine, sought to improve surgery outcomes for patients. While patients who participated in prehabilitation exercises experienced faster recovery, many found it difficult to sustain their rehabilitation exercises post-surgery. His team then theorised: Could the body receive the benefits of exercise without actual physical strain?
In 2013, Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregón, from the Department of Surgery at NUS Medicine, joined the NUH–NUS team to further explore this concept. Working closely alongside Prof Lee and his team, they ultimately developed a method to activate muscles and their energy systems (mitochondria) using magnetic stimulation.
Over the next decade, the team built a strong scientific foundation, publishing more than 30 studies to better understand how this technology works and how it can be applied in real-world settings.
Team QuantumTx with Guests of Honor at the opening ceremony.
From Research to Real-World Impact
In 2019, QuantumTx was established to bring this technology beyond the hospital and into the community. It was first housed at Alexandria Hospital from 2019 to 2024, under the Centre for Innovation in Healthcare, which is part of the National University Health System (NUHS) Centres of Excellence. QuantumTx provided services to patients to improve their muscle health while continuing to build up the body of evidence that would validated the benefits and outcomes of the technology.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, QuantumTx launched its first commercial devices in 2021, expanding access to the wider community.
By 2025, QuantumTx had received international recognition, attaining Medical device certification for its MitoCharge-enabled Medical Devices, from the United States of America’s Food and Drug Administration, China’s National Medical Products Administration, Malaysia’s Medical Device Authority and Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority.
Today, QuantumTx’s technology is already in use at around 50 locations across Singapore, supporting thousands of seniors in maintaining muscle strength and mobility, while also helping athletes enhance recovery and performance.
The launch of the QuantumTx-NUH MitoCharge Muscle Health Centre marks a significant milestone, reflecting the strength of collaboration between NUS Medicine and NUH in advancing translational innovation.
With growing emphasis in healthy ageing and preventive care, the centre is well positioned to serve as a hub for individuals looking to maintain strength, enhance recovery, and live well for longer.
