Use of a new device, the MicroWick, to deliver medication to the inner ear.

A new procedure for delivering medication directly to the inner ear has been developed. This delivery system, called the MicroWick, involves the use of a small wick that is inserted through a tympanic membrane vent tube into the round window niche. Once the wick has been inserted, the patient can self-administer eardrops into the ear canal, where they are absorbed by the wick and transported to the round window membrane and to the inner ear fluids. Inserting the wick is a minor procedure that is performed in the office. This paper describes the indications for and use of the MicroWick.