Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid non-invasive determination of blood composition parameters. A blood-containing body part of a live organism is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation of near-infrared wavelength range. Spectrum values of the radiation transmitted through and reflected by the body part are measured. One or more unknown values of blood composition parameters are determined on the basis of the measured values. The transmittance spectrum of the body part is measured at several wavelengths in a first wavelength range from 700 nm to a value between 1000 and 1100 nm. The reflectance and/or interactance spectrum of the body pat is measured at several wavelengths in a second range from the value between 1000 and 1100 nm to 1800 nm. The unknown values of blood composition parameters are determined on the basis of a single spectrum including spectrum values of said transmittance spectrum and spectrum values of said reflectance and/or interactive spectrum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for qualifying an object. Several characteristic values of the object are determined and arranged in a sequence in a polar coordinate system having an origin. At least one quality point is determined as the center of gravity on the basis of the positions of the characteristic values in the polar coordinate system. The object is qualified according to the position of the quality point in the polar coordinate system. In determining the quality point, the characteristic values are taken into account by weighting with their distances from the origin of the polar coordinate system.