The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for detecting analytes (26) in a sample comprising--a base carrier (10); --a multitude of sensor carriers (18) which are arranged on the base carrier (10) and can be assigned to at least two different sensor carrier populations (181, 182, 183); --the sensor carrier populations (181, 182, 183) being defined at least by different sensor molecules (24) which are assigned to the sensor carrier (18) and each have at least one measurable specificity for an analyte (26) or an analyte group, such that the population (181, 182, 183) of the sensor carriers (18) constitutes a coding which enables the assignment of sensor molecules (24) and/or analyte (26). The apparatus is characterized in that the sensor carriers (18) are present without contact to one another with a predetermined mean distance between one another and with a random statistical distribution on the base carrier (10) with regard to the population (181, 182, 183), as a result of which the detection of only a single entity of a sensor carrier (18) in each case is ensured during the analysis of the sensor molecules and/or of the binding analytes.