Human cone spectral sensitivities: a progress report

Abstract

The spectral sensitivities of the short (S-), middle (M-) and long (L-) wave-sensitive cones have been measured in normal trichromats and in dichromats and monochromats of known genotype. For the S-cone sensitivities, three blue-cone monochromats and five normals were used; for the M-cone sensitivities, nine protanopes (three with a single L1M2 gene, three with a single L2M3 gene, one with both an L1M2 and an M gene, and two with both an L2M3 and an M gene); and for the L-cone sensitivities, 22 deuteranopes (five with a single L(ala 180) gene and 17 with a single L(ser 180) gene). We compare existing cone spectral sensitivity estimates with these results and with tritanopic color matches. The new findings are more consistent with the cone fundamentals of Stockman et al. (JOSA 1993(A10), 2491) than with those of Smith and Pokorny (Vision Research 1975(15), 161). The discrepancies that we find, however, are sufficient to warrant the replacement of both sets.