1. Apparatus for the purification, processing and/or analysis of biological target molecules with a detection device for detecting at least one object, which comprises at least one detection area, wherein the detection device is adapted to detect at least one height value of the detection area and is adapted to determine, from the at least one height value, a spatial position and/or orientation and/or a type and/or a presence and/or a number and/or a state of the at least one object.