MRI gyina abɔdeɛ ho nimdeɛ a wɔferɛ no nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) gyinapɛn so, na Felix Bloch (ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ Stanford University) ne Edward Purcell (ofi Harvard University) na wɔ huu ho adeɛ wɔ 1930s mu.