A tetrachromatic display for the spatiotemporal control of rod and cone stimulation

We present an apparatus that allows independent stimulation of rods and short (S)-, middle (M)-, and long (L)-wavelength-sensitive cones. Previously presented devices allow rod and cone stimulation independently, but only for a spatially invariant stimulus design (Pokorny, Smithson, & Quinlan, 2004; Sun, Pokorny, & Smith, 2001b). We overcame this limitation by using two spectrally filtered projectors with overlapping projections. This approach allows independent rod and cone stimulation in a dynamic two-dimensional scene with appropriate resolution in the spatial, temporal, and receptor domains. Modulation depths were ±15% for M-cones and L-cones, ±20% for rods, and ±50% for S-cones, all with respect to an equal-energy mesopic background at 3.4 cd/m2. Validation was provided by radiometric measures and behavioral data from two trichromats, one protanope, one deuteranope, and one night-blind observer.