First superconducting magnet with cryostat used in nuclear magnetic resonance studies in biochemistry, made by Oxford Instrument Company Ltd., (Serial I 792), 1968

This was the first superconducting magnet used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies in biochemistry. It was made in 1968 by Oxford Instrument Company Ltd for Oxford University’s Biochemistry department. NMR is now routinely used in advanced medical imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

MRI also obtains biochemical information about things inside the body, such as a tumour, without a biopsy. This is possible because each biochemical has a different frequency which can be read by the scanner.