KETTERING — Kettering Medical Center’s new $1.6 million CT scanner will expose an estimated 15,000 patients annually to far less radiation than previous CT scanners did, accelerate diagnostic work, and cut unnecessary inpatient admissions, hospital officials said Thursday.

The new computerized tomography scanner is the first of its kind in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus areas, though the Ohio State University Medical Center has acquired one and will begin using it in November.

While a 64-slice scanner needs five to eight heartbeats to complete a scan, the new 256-slice scanner can accomplish the job in one to four heartbeats, said Merle Peterson, radiology director for Kettering and Sycamore medical centers. That means in one revolution of the scanner’s gantry, 256 images are taken.

Another advantage of the new machine is that, in most cases, beta blockers are not necessary to slow a person’s heart rate in preparation for CT scans, Peterson said. In many cases, the new machine also will take the place of more invasive procedures.

Despite the cost of the new CT scanner, patients and other payers will not pay more, Peterson said. He noted the greater efficiency of the new CT scanner will help to offset the cost.

Low- to moderate-risk cardiac patients will be able to be assessed more quickly and potentially be sent home rather than be kept in the hospital overnight for observation.

The new machine also will significantly reduce the amount of radiation to which patients are exposed. The radiation dosage will initially be cut by 30 percent, with a future upgrade to the scanner cutting the dose another 30 percent, Peterson said.

Radiation tests such as CT scans help save lives, but during the past 20 years, the U.S. population’s total exposure to radiation has nearly doubled with the increased use of diagnostic imaging in hospitals, imaging centers, and physician and dental offices, according to the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission in August issued an alert to health care providers, warning they must seek new ways to reduce exposure to repeated doses of diagnostic radiation. The CT scanner’s high resolution means heart doctors also don’t have to infer as much and can provide diagnoses with more accuracy and confidence, said Dr. Harvey Hahn, a hospital cardiologist.