diff --git a/dataset.go b/dataset.go
index e5653157..9b9fa5f8 100644
--- a/dataset.go
+++ b/dataset.go
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ func (d *Dataset) transferSyntax() (binary.ByteOrder, bool, error) {
 // FindElementByTagNested searches through the dataset and returns a pointer to the matching element.
 // This call searches through a flat representation of the dataset, including within sequences.
 func (d *Dataset) FindElementByTagNested(tag tag.Tag) (*Element, error) {
-	for e := range d.FlatIterator() {
+	c := d.FlatIterator()
+	defer ExhaustElementChannel(c)
+	for e := range c {
 		if e.Tag == tag {
 			return e, nil
 		}
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ func ExhaustElementChannel(c <-chan *Element) {
 
 func flatElementsIterator(elems []*Element, elemChan chan<- *Element) {
 	for _, elem := range elems {
-		if elem.Value.ValueType() == Sequences {
+		if elem.Value != nil && elem.Value.ValueType() == Sequences {
 			elemChan <- elem
 			for _, seqItem := range elem.Value.GetValue().([]*SequenceItemValue) {
 				flatElementsIterator(seqItem.elements, elemChan)
diff --git a/parse.go b/parse.go
index 89e3776b..c4957612 100644
--- a/parse.go
+++ b/parse.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/suyashkumar/dicom/pkg/charset"
 	"github.com/suyashkumar/dicom/pkg/debug"
@@ -102,8 +103,9 @@ type Parser struct {
 	dataset  Dataset
 	metadata Dataset
 	// file is optional, might be populated if reading from an underlying file
-	file         *os.File
-	frameChannel chan *frame.Frame
+	file            *os.File
+	frameChannel    chan *frame.Frame
+	stopAtPixelData bool
 }
 
 // NewParser returns a new Parser that points to the provided io.Reader, with bytesToRead bytes left to read. NewParser
@@ -118,7 +120,8 @@ func NewParser(in io.Reader, bytesToRead int64, frameChannel chan *frame.Frame,
 			rawReader: dicomio.NewReader(bufio.NewReader(in), binary.LittleEndian, bytesToRead),
 			opts:      optSet,
 		},
-		frameChannel: frameChannel,
+		frameChannel:    frameChannel,
+		stopAtPixelData: optSet.stopAtPixelDataStart,
 	}
 
 	elems := []*Element{}
@@ -167,7 +170,7 @@ func (p *Parser) Next() (*Element, error) {
 		}
 		return nil, ErrorEndOfDICOM
 	}
-	elem, err := p.reader.readElement(&p.dataset, p.frameChannel)
+	elem, err := p.reader.readElement(&p.dataset, p.frameChannel, p.stopAtPixelData)
 	if err != nil {
 		// TODO: tolerate some kinds of errors and continue parsing
 		return nil, err
@@ -191,6 +194,66 @@ func (p *Parser) Next() (*Element, error) {
 
 }
 
+// GetDataset returns just the set of metadata elements that have been parsed
+// so far.
+func (p *Parser) GetDataset() Dataset {
+	return p.dataset
+}
+
+func (p *Parser) GetPixelDataSize(optionalNumberOfFrames bool) (int64, error) {
+	parsedData := p.dataset
+	nof, err := parsedData.FindElementByTag(tag.NumberOfFrames)
+	var nFrames = 1
+	if err != nil {
+		if !optionalNumberOfFrames {
+			return -1, err
+		}
+	} else {
+		nFrames, err = strconv.Atoi(MustGetStrings(nof.Value)[0])
+		if err != nil {
+			return -1, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Parse information from previously parsed attributes that are needed to parse NativeData Frames:
+	rows, err := parsedData.FindElementByTag(tag.Rows)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+
+	cols, err := parsedData.FindElementByTag(tag.Columns)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+
+	b, err := parsedData.FindElementByTag(tag.BitsAllocated)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+	bitsAllocated := MustGetInts(b.Value)[0]
+
+	s, err := parsedData.FindElementByTag(tag.SamplesPerPixel)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+	samplesPerPixel := MustGetInts(s.Value)[0]
+
+	pixelsPerFrame := MustGetInts(rows.Value)[0] * MustGetInts(cols.Value)[0]
+
+	// Parse the pixels:
+	bytesAllocated := bitsAllocated / 8
+
+	frameSize := bytesAllocated * samplesPerPixel * pixelsPerFrame
+	var bytesTotal int64
+	bytesTotal = int64(frameSize) * int64(nFrames)
+
+	return bytesTotal, nil
+}
+
+func (p *Parser) GetPixelDataReader(bytesTotal int64) (io.Reader, error) {
+	return io.LimitReader(p.reader.rawReader, bytesTotal), nil
+}
+
 // GetMetadata returns just the set of metadata elements that have been parsed
 // so far.
 func (p *Parser) GetMetadata() Dataset {
@@ -211,6 +274,7 @@ type parseOptSet struct {
 	allowMismatchPixelDataLength    bool
 	skipPixelData                   bool
 	skipProcessingPixelDataValue    bool
+	stopAtPixelDataStart            bool
 }
 
 func toParseOptSet(opts ...ParseOption) parseOptSet {
@@ -262,3 +326,9 @@ func SkipProcessingPixelDataValue() ParseOption {
 		set.skipProcessingPixelDataValue = true
 	}
 }
+
+func StopAtPixelData() ParseOption {
+	return func(set *parseOptSet) {
+		set.stopAtPixelDataStart = true
+	}
+}
diff --git a/read.go b/read.go
index 6e653be5..88ec026e 100644
--- a/read.go
+++ b/read.go
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func (r *reader) readHeader() ([]*Element, error) {
 
 	// Must read metadata as LittleEndian explicit VR
 	// Read the length of the metadata elements: (0002,0000) MetaElementGroupLength
-	maybeMetaLen, err := r.readElement(nil, nil)
+	maybeMetaLen, err := r.readElement(nil, nil, r.opts.stopAtPixelDataStart)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func (r *reader) readHeader() ([]*Element, error) {
 	}
 	defer r.rawReader.PopLimit()
 	for !r.rawReader.IsLimitExhausted() {
-		elem, err := r.readElement(nil, nil)
+		elem, err := r.readElement(nil, nil, r.opts.stopAtPixelDataStart)
 		if err != nil {
 			// TODO: see if we can skip over malformed elements somehow
 			return nil, err
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ func (r *reader) readSequence(t tag.Tag, vr string, vl uint32, d *Dataset) (Valu
 	seqElements := &Dataset{}
 	if vl == tag.VLUndefinedLength {
 		for {
-			subElement, err := r.readElement(seqElements, nil)
+			subElement, err := r.readElement(seqElements, nil, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				// Stop reading due to error
 				log.Println("error reading subitem, ", err)
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func (r *reader) readSequence(t tag.Tag, vr string, vl uint32, d *Dataset) (Valu
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		for !r.rawReader.IsLimitExhausted() {
-			subElement, err := r.readElement(seqElements, nil)
+			subElement, err := r.readElement(seqElements, nil, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				// TODO: option to ignore errors parsing subelements?
 				return nil, err
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ func (r *reader) readSequenceItem(t tag.Tag, vr string, vl uint32, d *Dataset) (
 
 	if vl == tag.VLUndefinedLength {
 		for {
-			subElem, err := r.readElement(&seqElements, nil)
+			subElem, err := r.readElement(&seqElements, nil, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ func (r *reader) readSequenceItem(t tag.Tag, vr string, vl uint32, d *Dataset) (
 		}
 
 		for !r.rawReader.IsLimitExhausted() {
-			subElem, err := r.readElement(&seqElements, nil)
+			subElem, err := r.readElement(&seqElements, nil, false)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ func (r *reader) readInt(t tag.Tag, vr string, vl uint32) (Value, error) {
 // elements read so far, since previously read elements may be needed to parse
 // certain Elements (like native PixelData). If the Dataset is nil, it is
 // treated as an empty Dataset.
-func (r *reader) readElement(d *Dataset, fc chan<- *frame.Frame) (*Element, error) {
+func (r *reader) readElement(d *Dataset, fc chan<- *frame.Frame, stopAtPixelDataValue bool) (*Element, error) {
 	t, err := r.readTag()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -723,6 +723,11 @@ func (r *reader) readElement(d *Dataset, fc chan<- *frame.Frame) (*Element, erro
 	}
 	debug.Logf("readElement: vl: %d", vl)
 
+	if stopAtPixelDataValue && *t == tag.PixelData {
+		return &Element{Tag: *t, ValueRepresentation: tag.GetVRKind(*t, vr), RawValueRepresentation: vr, ValueLength: vl, Value: nil}, nil
+	}
+
+	//val, err := readValue(r, *t, vr, vl, readImplicit, d, fc)
 	val, err := r.readValue(*t, vr, vl, readImplicit, d, fc)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("error reading value ", err)
@@ -730,7 +735,6 @@ func (r *reader) readElement(d *Dataset, fc chan<- *frame.Frame) (*Element, erro
 	}
 
 	return &Element{Tag: *t, ValueRepresentation: tag.GetVRKind(*t, vr), RawValueRepresentation: vr, ValueLength: vl, Value: val}, nil
-
 }
 
 // Read an Item object as raw bytes, useful when parsing encapsulated PixelData.