CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County Coroner's Office will be the first in the state to have its own computer tomography scanner as part of forensic death investigations.

The CT machine, which carries a $250,000 price tag, is being funded through a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act. Its purpose is to supplement traditional autopsies and increase the efficiency of the post-mortem examination process.

The office currently uses multiple X-rays but the CT machine will provide a one-time full-body scan to show all injuries at once.

Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal says this is going to change day-to-day operations and allow them to provide more information to families.

"The other thing that it does is that in the courtroom, photographs are often not allowed, but in this setting, we're going to be able to use a scan that comes from a CT scan and be able to use that in a courtroom setting," O'Neal said.

It will be installed at the coroner's office within the next few months.