These amazing images are the result of new technology which provides the most detailed pictures ever taken of the human body.

The CT scanner, the first of its kind in England, is now installed at the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.

The £500,000 machine can be used on every part of the body and can see through patients in five minutes. It usually takes between ten and 15 minutes for other scanners.

The scanner takes up to 64 simultaneous images or "slices" of a specific part of the body from skin level right through to the centre.

These pictures can then be built up into a 3D image of an organ like the heart or lung or an abnormal structure like a tumour.

In the pictures shown here, you can see an image of a person's head.

As the pictures progress the facial skin is peeled away to reveal the muscles and nerves.

As the scanner digs deeper, another layer of tissue vanishes and blood vessels can be seen. Finally, an image of the skull emerges.

The detail is extremely precise so even a build-up of calcium in the artery could be detected.

The arrival of the machine, called the Toshiba Aquilion 64 Multislice CT scanner, will mean more conditions can be diagnosed with less intrusive examinations or difficult procedures for patients.

Chris Brandt, a superintendent radiographer at the Conquest, said: "When a patient undergoes a chest scan they have to hold their breath for about 30 seconds on the current scanner.

"Because of the speed of the new technology they will now only have to hold their breath for about five seconds.

"This speed will have major advantages in trauma scanning. There are massive improvements for the patients and all in all it gives a much more accurate picture of what's going on inside the body."

David Baker, the lead superintendent radiographer at the hospital, said: "This is great news for patients and great news for the staff and the trust.

"It means we can now scan more patients and get clearer images of the patient's body which will help improve the diagnosis of patients. This is a major step forward for the radiology department."

There are only four multislice scanners in use in Europe, including the one at the Conquest. Colchester Hospital in Essex has also ordered one.