Intracochlear visualization: comparing established and novel endoscopy techniques.

Hypothesis: Intracochlear visualization is achievable with chip-on-tip endoscopes-also called (digital) video endoscopy, videoscopy, electronic endoscopy, or endoscopy with distal chip/sensor/camera technology.

Background: Recent advances in digital camera sensor sizes have significantly reduced the size of chip-on-tip endoscopes to sizes near that of the scala tympani opening up the possibility of intracochlear visualization.

Methods: We compared the image quality of chip-on-tip cameras with commercially available rigid endoscopes (a.