# pydicom.filereader.read_dataset

`pydicom.filereader.``read_dataset`(fp, is_implicit_VR, is_little_endian, bytelength=None, stop_when=None, defer_size=None, parent_encoding='iso8859', specific_tags=None, at_top_level=True)

  Return a `Dataset` instance containing the next dataset in the file.

  Parameters:

  - fp (file-like) – An opened file-like object.
  - is_implicit_VR (bool) – `True` if file transfer syntax is implicit VR.
  - is_little_endian (bool) – `True` if file has little endian transfer syntax.
  - bytelength (int, None, optional) – `None` to read until end of file or ItemDeliterTag, else a fixed number of bytes to read
  - stop_when (None, optional) – Optional call_back function which can terminate reading. See help for `data_element_generator()` for details
  - defer_size (int, None, optional) – Size to avoid loading large elements in memory. See `dcmread()` for more parameter info.
  - parent_encoding – Optional encoding to use as a default in case (0008,0005) Specific Character Set isn’t specified.
  - specific_tags (list or None) – See `dcmread()` for parameter info.
  - at_top_level (bool) – If dataset is top level (not within a sequence). Used to turn off explicit VR heuristic within sequences

  Returns: | A Dataset instance.
  Return type: | dataset.Dataset

  See also

  `Dataset`
    A collection (dictionary) of DICOM `DataElement` instances.