Such measurements were not introduced into common medical practice until the mid-1980s .
A patent for a whole - body NMR machine to measure blood flow in the human body was already filed by Alexander Ganssen in early 1967 .
Such measurements were not introduced into common medical practice until the mid-1980s , although a patent for a whole - body NMR machine to measure blood flow in the human body was already filed by Alexander Ganssen in early 1967 .