The color composite image is a color map summary of various MRI gray images. Dr. Brown's process is independent of the brand of MRI scanner used to obtain the gray images. His methodology can also be applied to the gray images generated by the latest technological MRI advancements without changes or additional costs. Human vision is very much keyed to color. Color is a major factor in how we evaluate and distinguish objects in our environment.
Color provides much more information than gray images.
Human vision allows the discrimination of only about sixteen levels or intensities of gray. In contrast, humans can distinguish thousands of colors and their subtle variations. Among the advantages of using color MRI's is that when an image is represented in shades of gray, the only variable is the intensity of the shade or gray. However, when color is used, hue and saturation can also vary giving additional tissue data and imparting more information per image. The addition of color to MRI images can greatly improve the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of interpretation while enhancing the ability to detect subtle differences that may not be readily apparent in the gray images.