Method for optical in vitro detection of a movement in a biological sample with a spatial extent in the form of a three-dimensional cell and/or tissue culture or a cell cluster, comprising the steps: a) providing a receptacle for the sample, a light beam source, optics (7, 8; 3, 3a, 3b, 4, 5a, 5b) and a detector, a1) wherein the light beam source generates coherent light; and a2) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to illuminate the whole sample in the receptacle with radiation emanating from the light beam source and to guide at least a part of the radiation from the light beam source, which is changed in its diffraction pattern at any point within the sample through interaction with the sample, onto a detection surface of the detector, and a3) wherein the detector is configured to generate a measurement signal depending on the detected radiation, the time profile of which specifies a time profile of an intensity of the detected radiation and/or from which the time profile of the intensity of the detected radiation can be derived; a4) wherein the detector is a non-imaging detector or a detector with a non-spatially resolved measurement signal; a5) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to map an edge area of a speckle pattern generated by light from the light beam source that is diffracted by the sample, on the detector; a6) wherein the optics comprise a pinhole aperture arranged between the sample and the detector in such a way that a pinhole of the pinhole aperture is arranged in the edge area of the speckle pattern generated by the sample; b) illuminating the sample with radiation from the light beam source; and c) detecting a movement in the biological sample depending on a temporal change of the measurement signal; wherein a movement in the sample is detected if a temporal change of the measurement signal has periodicity, wherein a periodic variation of the measurement signal corresponds to periodic contractions of the muscle cells. a) providing a receptacle for the sample, a light beam source, optics (7, 8; 3, 3a, 3b, 4, 5a, 5b) and a detector, a1) wherein the light beam source generates coherent light; and a2) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to illuminate the whole sample in the receptacle with radiation emanating from the light beam source and to guide at least a part of the radiation from the light beam source, which is changed in its diffraction pattern at any point within the sample through interaction with the sample, onto a detection surface of the detector, and a3) wherein the detector is configured to generate a measurement signal depending on the detected radiation, the time profile of which specifies a time profile of an intensity of the detected radiation and/or from which the time profile of the intensity of the detected radiation can be derived; a4) wherein the detector is a non-imaging detector or a detector with a non-spatially resolved measurement signal; a5) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to map an edge area of a speckle pattern generated by light from the light beam source that is diffracted by the sample, on the detector; a6) wherein the optics comprise a pinhole aperture arranged between the sample and the detector in such a way that a pinhole of the pinhole aperture is arranged in the edge area of the speckle pattern generated by the sample; a1) wherein the light beam source generates coherent light; and a2) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to illuminate the whole sample in the receptacle with radiation emanating from the light beam source and to guide at least a part of the radiation from the light beam source, which is changed in its diffraction pattern at any point within the sample through interaction with the sample, onto a detection surface of the detector, and a3) wherein the detector is configured to generate a measurement signal depending on the detected radiation, the time profile of which specifies a time profile of an intensity of the detected radiation and/or from which the time profile of the intensity of the detected radiation can be derived; a4) wherein the detector is a non-imaging detector or a detector with a non-spatially resolved measurement signal; a5) wherein the optics (7, 8) is configured to map an edge area of a speckle pattern generated by light from the light beam source that is diffracted by the sample, on the detector; a6) wherein the optics comprise a pinhole aperture arranged between the sample and the detector in such a way that a pinhole of the pinhole aperture is arranged in the edge area of the speckle pattern generated by the sample; b) illuminating the sample with radiation from the light beam source; and c) detecting a movement in the biological sample depending on a temporal change of the measurement signal; wherein a movement in the sample is detected if a temporal change of the measurement signal has periodicity, wherein a periodic variation of the measurement signal corresponds to periodic contractions of the muscle cells.