Europe's first non-invasive digital post mortem examinations are to be conducted at a state-of-the-art centre in England.
The £3 million (€3.6m) unit in Sheffield will enable pathologists to perform some post mortems without a surgical dissection of the body.
It is the only place in the world equipped to use the revolutionary new technique outside Malaysia, where it was developed.
The new equipment involves a CT scanning machine with unique software that turns images into a 3D representation of the body.
It will be used in cases where there is a reasonable prospect that a digital post mortem can provide a cause of death, those behind the project have said.
The firm that developed the technology, iGene, said it will enable the pathologist to conduct a full, non-invasive digital post mortem using a large, touch-screen tablet computer.
It said the scene of death could also be reconstructed digitally using the 3D capabilities of the system and the results are available almost immediately.
According to iGene, the new technique will ease the emotional burden on families at a time of intense stress.
It will also speed up the process and provide more accurate findings in some cases.
The new centre in Sheffield, which is housed at the city's Medico-Legal Centre, is intended to pave the way for a series of centres across the UK.
Matt Chandran, founder and chief executive of iGene, said: "Digital autopsy is more than just a technological innovation; it represents a tremendous humanitarian step forward in establishing the cause of an unnatural death."
Sheffield City Council leader Julie Dore said: "There are countless families who will be able to benefit from our city having this new facility."
Around 95,000 post mortem examinations were performed in Britain last year, accounting for around 20% of deaths.
iGene believes more than 70% of post mortems could be done using the digital system.
