A new sensor for respiratory rate monitoring based on optical fiber technique was simultaneously compared with an acoustic sensor and a transthoracic impedance plethysmograph during normoventilation in the respiratory rate range of 9 - 17 breaths per minute. The response characteristics of the optical sensor were then measured during simulation of central apnoea and tachypnoea. Visual observation was chosen as the reference method for monitoring the respiratory rate. The measurements were performed in ten healthy volunteers and the respiratory signals recorded on an analogue tape and strip-chart recorder and analyzed off-line. The response characteristics of the fiber optic sensor corresponded well with those of the acoustic sensor and impedance plethysmograph. All three methods responded rapidly to a simulated apnoeic event.