diff --git a/src/torchio/__init__.py b/src/torchio/__init__.py
index d4b83ece..776ab99b 100644
--- a/src/torchio/__init__.py
+++ b/src/torchio/__init__.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 from .data import LabelSampler
 from .data import Queue
 from .data import ScalarImage
+from .data import LazyImage
+from .data import LazyScalarImage
+from .data import LazyLabelMap
 from .data import Subject
 from .data import SubjectsDataset
 from .data import SubjectsLoader
@@ -36,6 +39,9 @@
     'Image',
     'ScalarImage',
     'LabelMap',
+    'LazyImage',
+    'LazyScalarImage',
+    'LazyLabelMap',
     'Queue',
     'Subject',
     'datasets',
diff --git a/src/torchio/data/__init__.py b/src/torchio/data/__init__.py
index d3250c98..a875158d 100644
--- a/src/torchio/data/__init__.py
+++ b/src/torchio/data/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 from .image import Image
 from .image import LabelMap
 from .image import ScalarImage
+from .image import LazyImage
+from .image import LazyScalarImage
+from .image import LazyLabelMap
 from .inference import GridAggregator
 from .loader import SubjectsLoader
 from .queue import Queue
@@ -20,6 +23,9 @@
     'Image',
     'ScalarImage',
     'LabelMap',
+    'LazyImage',
+    'LazyScalarImage',
+    'LazyLabelMap',
     'GridSampler',
     'GridAggregator',
     'PatchSampler',
diff --git a/src/torchio/data/image.py b/src/torchio/data/image.py
index aba6c15f..c89ec93c 100644
--- a/src/torchio/data/image.py
+++ b/src/torchio/data/image.py
@@ -917,3 +917,73 @@ def count_labels(self) -> dict[int, int]:
         counter = Counter(values_list)
         counts = {label: counter[label] for label in sorted(counter)}
         return counts
+
+
+class LazyImage(Image):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def load(self):
+        if self._is_multipath():
+            message = f'No multiple paths for LazyImage'
+            RuntimeError(message)
+
+        tensor, affine = self.read_and_check(self.path)
+        self.set_data(tensor)
+        self.affine = affine
+        self._loaded = True
+
+    def _parse_tensor(
+        self,
+        tensor: Optional[TypeData],
+        none_ok: bool = True,
+    ) -> Optional[torch.Tensor]:
+        if tensor is None:
+            if none_ok:
+                return None
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError('Input tensor cannot be None')
+
+        ndim = tensor.ndim
+        if ndim != 4:
+            raise ValueError(f'Input tensor must be 4D, but it is {ndim}D')
+
+        return tensor
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _parse_tensor_shape(tensor: torch.Tensor) -> TypeData:
+        # here we do not want to maniulate the whole data as tensor, to avoid loading
+        # so we skip check here, so we can not repare bad shape ...
+        # _parse_tensor, is already checking if ndim==4
+        return tensor
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        # alternative would be to modify the __repr__ function of parent class (image
+        # in order to avoid the call self.data.type() (which is only defined for tensor)
+        properties = []
+        properties.extend(
+            [
+                f'shape: {self.shape}',
+                f'spacing: {self.get_spacing_string()}',
+                f'orientation: {"".join(self.orientation)}+',
+            ]
+        )
+        if self._loaded:
+            # instead of adding dtype and memory, just print the data
+            properties.append(f'dtype: {self.data}')
+        else:
+            properties.append(f'path: "{self.path}"')
+
+        properties = '; '.join(properties)
+        string = f'{self.__class__.__name__}({properties})'
+        return string
+
+
+class LazyScalarImage(LazyImage, ScalarImage):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+class LazyLabelMap(LazyImage, LabelMap):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/torchio/transforms/preprocessing/spatial/crop.py b/src/torchio/transforms/preprocessing/spatial/crop.py
index 2895d266..3527a5f1 100644
--- a/src/torchio/transforms/preprocessing/spatial/crop.py
+++ b/src/torchio/transforms/preprocessing/spatial/crop.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import nibabel as nib
 import numpy as np
+import torch
 
 from ....data.subject import Subject
 from .bounds_transform import BoundsTransform
@@ -48,7 +49,10 @@ def apply_transform(self, sample) -> Subject:
             new_affine[:3, 3] = new_origin
             i0, j0, k0 = index_ini
             i1, j1, k1 = index_fin
-            image.set_data(image.data[:, i0:i1, j0:j1, k0:k1].clone())
+            if isinstance(image.data, torch.Tensor):
+                image.set_data(image.data[:, i0:i1, j0:j1, k0:k1].clone())
+            else:
+                image.set_data(torch.as_tensor(image.data[:, i0:i1, j0:j1, k0:k1]))
             image.affine = new_affine
         return sample