Multispectral infrared-to-full-color upconversion expanding human vision

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Not reported — no inferential statistics presented

• Effect Size: Discrimination sensitivity for subtle infrared variations exceeding more than two orders of magnitude (>100×) higher than conventional single-colour upconversion modes

• Primary Outcome: Successful upconversion of multispectral infrared light (wavelength- and intensity-dependent) to full-colour visible output via CQD-based dual-emissive-layer organic architecture, enabling correlated wavelength/intensity-to-colour/luminance mapping

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Device sensitivity metric: >100× improvement over single-colour modes; broadband detection beyond 2 μm; photon-to-photon conversion efficiency 3.85%; luminance output exceeding 700 cd m⁻²

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

Currently not feasible for clinical application. The technology requires: biocompatibility and toxicology studies for CQD materials; preclinical animal studies for the implantable configuration; device miniaturisation and power management optimisation for wearable use; regulatory pathway development; and Phase I–III clinical trials. Timeline to clinical translation is likely 10–20 years minimum for the implantable application. In Australia, any implantable retinal device would require TGA approval as a Class III medical device under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, necessitating extensive clinical evidence. The wearable eyeglass configuration may have a shorter regulatory pathway. The RACGP and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) would need to develop clinical guidelines before adoption. PBS listing for any therapeutic application is not foreseeable without robust clinical trial data. Australia's existing retinal prosthetics research ecosystem (including prior Bionic Vision Australia work) provides relevant infrastructure for future translation. CQD toxicology concerns — particularly cadmium-based quantum dots — would require NICNAS/AICIS assessment under Australian industrial chemicals legislation. Theoretically applicable to: (1) individuals with retinal dystrophies or photoreceptor degeneration requiring visual prosthetics; (2) individuals requiring enhanced environmental sensing (e.g., low-light, thermal detection); (3) military or occupational health contexts requiring infrared situational awareness. No clinical population has been studied to date.

Abstract

The human visual system is inherently blind to infrared radiation due to the insufficient energy of infrared photons to trigger the photoisomerization of the retinal chromophore, resulting in the loss of over half of the solar spectrum. Here, we report a colloidal quantum dot (CQD)-based infrared-to-visible upconverter that enables ultrasensitive upconversion of multispectral infrared light radiation as full-color visible vision. The photon-energy-selective excitonic transitions in quantum-confined states and the photon flux, respectively, enable infrared wavelength- and intensity-dependent number of photogenerated carriers. A dual-emissive-layer organic architecture with the strategically engineered hole-injection barrier could route these carriers into distinct color emission channels, resulting in correlated wavelength/intensity-to-color/luminance mapping. This paradigm shift yields a discrimination sensitivity for subtle infrared variations exceeding more than two orders of magnitude higher than conventional single-color modes, capitalizing on the human eye's intrinsic superiority in chromatic differentiation over only brightness contrast. The resulting upconverter exhibits broadband detection extending beyond 2 μm, luminance exceeding 700 cd m-2, and a photon-to-photon conversion efficiency of 3.85%. The upconverter could be applied as a lightweight, semi-transparent wearable eyeglass that projects multispectral infrared as full-color vision directly onto the retina. Besides, upconverters bound to light-sensitive proteins, potentially as an implantable retinal photoreceptor, confer innate infrared vision. By surpassing the evolutionary constraints of natural vision, this work establishes a versatile foundation for next-generation visual prosthetics and human-integrated sensory expansion.

References

1. 1.Fu, C., Zou, J., Yang, X., Hao, Q., Tang, X., & Mu, G. (2026). Multispectral infrared-to-full-color upconversion expanding human vision. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed0245