How can I remove a foreign object from the optical drive?

My son stuck a piece of cardboard inside the mac mini. I wasn't around at the time, so I cant really tell much in terms of the thickness or size. I cannot get another disc in, and none of the eject tricks (including drutil eject) have made a difference, even if I use them while holding the mini and shaking it. I dont really use the optical drive but it does bug me that it isnt working. I just took my mini apart to replace the drive w an ssd so I really don't want to do it again. Any ideas?