1. A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising: a source of at least one image; a source of data that indicates a type of imaging device for use with the surgical navigation system; a mask module that generates a mask array for each received image; a background check module that determines a content of the image defined by the mask array; and a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the image and the type of imaging device.