Final answer:
The X-ray cassette is held in the bucky tray, which is a part of the X-ray table designed for precise cassette positioning during an X-ray examination. Protective measures and advanced imaging techniques like CT scanning enhance the safety and detail of medical imaging.
Step-by-step explanation:
The X-ray cassette is traditionally held in the bucky tray, which is part of the X-ray table mechanism designed to hold the cassette in place during an X-ray examination. This tray allows for accurate positioning of the cassette beneath the patient or the body part being imaged.
Modern X-ray systems may have varying designs, but the principle remains: the cassette, which contains the image receptor, needs to be precisely aligned with the x-ray beam for optimal imaging. In addition to the bucky tray, protection measures such as a lead apron are used to protect patients from excess radiation exposure during the x-ray process.
Complex imaging technologies like computed tomography (CT), also known as computed axial tomography (CAT), go beyond traditional x-ray imaging by taking multiple images from different angles, processed by computers to create detailed cross-sectional or three-dimensional images of the body.