Abstract: A network (A) carries large image blocks among medical diagnostic equipment (20, 22, 24), archive computer (26), and data handling and display stations (28, 30). Four kilobyte packets of 4 megabyte image blocks are moved from transmit buffers (38) to queuing buffers (42). The order in which packets from the queuing buffers are transmitted on the network medium (10) is determined by a combination of an assigned priority, duration in the buffer, and a statistical availability of the addressed receiving node. A data link (52) at the receiving node includes an elasticity buffer (122) which stores a small plurality bits, e.g. 5, to accommodate for variances in the clock speed of the transmitting and receiving nodes. A buffer table (60) monitors memory addresses at which preceding data packets corresponding to the same image are stored and provides address information to send each subsequently received packet.