The patent is for what? Is the word imaging in the patent?
Damadian discovered that tumors have a different NMR relaxation time from normal tissue. The discovery had nothing to do with imaging. Imaging is what the I in MRI stands for.
The patent office called it a BETA 3000 NMR SCANNING DEVICE
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/term/156.html If you click on the patent number, it confirms the patent was granted in 1974. If he filed in 1972, that means he had a scanning device in place prior to 1973. I am willing to concede that there should be shared contribution to the technology involved and that several folks apparently were doing similar research at one time. Just don't dismiss this scientist as a "crank". He is worthy of some respect for his contributions. 1977 was when he built the MRI scanner. It is within the realm of probability that he indeed did have MRI technology prior to 1973.