Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a substance in a sample, particularly for in vivo detecting and measuring glucose in body tissue or blood contains a semiconductor laser for emitting mid-infrared laser light at at least two discrete wavelengths, each at a different peak or valley in the absorption spectrum of the substance in the sample. A photoacoustic detector detects acoustic signals originating from absorption of the laser light. An indication unit evaluates the acoustic signals separately for each wavelength and calculates a detection result based on all acoustic signals from the different wavelengths.