How Parul University Researchers Turned an Ancient Ayurvedic Ear Healing Procedure Into a Precision-Engineered Medical Device That Could Reach Primary Health Centres Across India: The Karnadhoopan Device for Chronic Ear Discharge

Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media is not a rare condition. It is a persistent infection of the middle ear, with a continuous discharge through a perforated eardrum. In India it is driven by factors that tend to occur together in the same populations, poor hygiene, overcrowding, malnutrition and limited access to timely healthcare. It disproportionately impacts children and low-income communities. If left untreated it causes conductive hearing loss which can have a direct impact on children’s speech development, school performance and confidence as they grow.

At times, current treatments like antibiotic ear drops fail, reasons are structural – poor patient compliance, antibiotic resistance and recurrence (an underlying infection that is not completely eradicated, especially in chronic cases). The result is a cycle wherein treatment is prescribed, that partially works and infection returns so the patient either gives up or loses access to follow up care.

CSOM is a significant public health problem globally not because medicine does not know how to treat it, but because existing treatments are not reaching the people who need them most, in the conditions where they need them. Any solution that works must be affordable, simple, deployable in primary healthcare settings, and effective enough that a single course of treatment produces measurable improvement.

Meet our Proud Contributors

Dr Radhika Gandhi – Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor, Department of Shalakya tantra, Parul Institute of Ayurveda, Parul University

Dr Manjiri Keskar (Co PI), Professor and HOD Department of Shalakya tantra, Parul Institute of Ayurveda, Parul University

Dr Bhavesh Mewada (Co PI), Professor – Mechanical Engineering Department and Director – Learning and Academic Enrichment Program, Parul University

Karnadhoopan is a classical Ayurvedic therapeutic procedure described in the Sushruta Samhita, one of the foundational texts of Ayurvedic medicine. The procedure uses specific medicinal herbs that are burned to produce therapeutic smoke. This smoke is then gently directed into the ear canal using a hollow tube or funnel. The aim is to deliver the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties of the herbs in a localised manner, directly to the infected tissue.

The biotechnology element lies in the bioactive compounds present in these medicinal herbs. When converted into fumigant form, these compounds act on infected tissues, targeting the pathogens causing the discharge. The herbs are selected based on classical Ayurvedic texts for their proven efficacy in treating ear disorders, and their selection is further supported by modern scientific literature. Validation includes HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) and gas chromatography reports confirming the presence and concentration of active compounds.

The procedure works. Practitioners have used it for centuries. But the traditional method has specific limitations that prevent it from being adopted at scale: no control over temperature (creating a genuine risk of burns to the sensitive ear canal), inconsistent dosage and exposure across treatments, no repeatability (every administration is different depending on the practitioner), and complete dependence on practitioner skill and judgment. These are not theoretical concerns. They are the reasons why a clinically effective procedure remained confined to traditional practice while millions of CSOM patients went untreated. Discover how Ayurvedic research is revolutionizing the future of medicine through the fusion of ancient traditions and modern engineering and clinical science by enrolling in Doctorate & Research Programmes by Parul University.

Raw & Real moments from Ayurved’s Educational Tour to Roorkee

The key insight that drove the project was deceptively simple: the therapeutic value of Karnadhoopan lies in controlled fumigation. The herbs work. The delivery method works. What does not work is the absence of control. If temperature, smoke density, flow rate, and duration can be standardised through engineering, the procedure becomes safe, repeatable, and clinically acceptable. Ancient knowledge provides what and engineering provides the how.

This insight came from a convergence, not a single moment. The Ayurvedic clinicians at Parul University’s Institute of Ayurveda brought forward the clinical need: CSOM patients who responded to Karnadhoopan but received inconsistent treatment.

The engineering team at the Faculty of Engineering translated that need into a design question: what parameters must be controlled to make this procedure safe and repeatable? Neither side could have built this alone. The clinicians did not have engineering tools. The engineers did not have clinical knowledge.

The collaboration produced something that neither discipline could have generated independently. This isn’t an overnight innovation, it takes years of research, learning, nurturing and execution, you too can validate your idea with the Research & Development Cell of Parul University!

The Karnadhoopan Device is a compact unit consisting of a controlled heating chamber for generating medicated smoke and a delivery nozzle designed specifically for the ear canal. It incorporates flow control mechanisms, insulation, temperature regulation through controlled heating elements and sensors, and a digital display that guides the doctor during treatment. The external components use high-grade polymers.

The heating chamber uses medical-grade stainless steel. Every material is selected for sterility, durability, heat resistance, and biocompatibility.

Four parameters are precisely controlled:

• Temperature: regulated to prevent burns and ensure patient comfort in the sensitive ear canal. Sensors and feedback systems maintain only safe, pre-defined temperature ranges
• Smoke density and concentration: calibrated for therapeutic effectiveness. Too little is ineffective. Too much is irritating. The device delivers the concentration that produces clinical improvement
• Flow rate and pressure: controlled to safely deliver fumes into the ear without damaging ear structures. The delivery is gentle, consistent, and non-invasive
• Duration of exposure: standardised to achieve treatment consistency across patients and sessions. Every treatment delivers the same therapeutic dose

Once parameters are set, the patient can take the treatment independently. The portability of the instrument combined with built-in safety is its core advantage. The device eliminates every limitation of the traditional method: burn risk is removed through temperature control, dosage is consistent through smoke density regulation, repeatability is guaranteed through standardised parameters, and practitioner dependence is reduced through automated control.

To heal India’s leading cause, researchers of Research & Development Cell of Parul University are playing a primary role in accessing healthcare to the remotest part of the country. If you aspire to have a career in the healthcare domain, enrol into Master in Ayurveda Programmes of Parul University and say yes to world-class infrastructure + package!

One of the early prototypes failed to maintain consistent temperature and smoke flow. The result was uneven delivery and potential safety concerns. This was the project’s fail fast moment. It identified immediately that without precise control systems, the device would replicate the same inconsistency problems as the traditional method, just inside a machine. The team redesigned with better temperature regulation and airflow mechanisms. The failure was not a setback. It was the data point that shaped the final design. So from design to final execution, you too can champion such exposure by pursuing B.Tech In Mechanical Engineering from Parul University!

The fabrication labs at Parul University’s Faculty of Engineering played a critical role in converting concepts to prototypes. Rapid prototyping allowed the team to build, test, and iterate quickly. 3D modelling enabled visualisation and refinement of the delivery nozzle geometry, heating chamber dimensions, and airflow pathways before physical fabrication.

Multiple design-test-refine cycles optimised heat control, airflow, and ergonomics. Without these labs, the project would have remained a concept paper. The infrastructure turned it into a physical device that clinicians can hold, use, and evaluate. If medical devices and diagnostic tools entices you, then enrol in B.Tech in Biomedical Engineering Program of Parul University and contribute to your research with world-level infrastructure & support.

Initial pilot observations are encouraging. The team has observed reduction in ear discharge, improvement in symptoms including pain and discomfort, and better patient compliance compared to traditional methods. Clinical outcomes are assessed using both objective and subjective parameters: reduction in ear discharge volume, healing status of the tympanic membrane, pain and discomfort scores, and hearing improvement through audiometric evaluation.

These are early-stage findings. They indicate strong potential for effectiveness and warrant further structured clinical trials. The GSBTM grant for 2025-26 funds the next phase: prototype refinement, controlled pilot studies, systematic data collection, clinical validation, and steps toward regulatory approval.

The Karnadhoopan Device sits at the intersection of a medical device and a traditional therapy. Regulatory approval will require a hybrid approach: demonstrating safety, efficacy, and standardisation through clinical trials (medical device pathway) while also establishing the therapeutic basis through validated Ayurvedic principles (traditional medicine pathway). Clear documentation, validation data, and adherence to both sets of guidelines will be essential.

The project also aligns with NPPCD (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness), a government-initiated healthcare programme, which could provide a pathway for deployment once validated.

The device begins as a specialised clinical tool under supervised conditions. But the long-term vision is broader. With successful validation, it has strong potential to be deployed at primary health centres and rural clinics where access to ENT care is limited. Its portability, simplicity, and affordability make it suitable for exactly the settings where CSOM patients currently have no access to treatment.

At the largest scale, the team envisions the device being used by individuals at home, similar to a blood pressure monitor: a personal healthcare tool that manages a chronic condition without requiring a hospital visit every time.

The impact on children is particularly significant. CSOM-related hearing loss directly affects speech development, educational performance, and confidence. A device that reduces infection and improves hearing in a child does not just treat a medical condition. It changes the trajectory of that child’s education and social development. Are you researching an idea that needs infrastructure support & global recognition? Then, wait no more and validate your idea with experienced researchers of the Research & Development Cell of Parul University.

A major misconception about Ayurvedic practices is that they are unscientific or outdated. This project demonstrates the opposite: traditional knowledge can be scientifically validated, standardised, and enhanced through engineering. Ayurveda provides the therapeutic foundation (which herbs, which procedure, which clinical indication). Engineering provides precision, consistency, scalability, and safety. Neither discipline diminishes the other. The combination produces something that neither could have created alone.

The project also demonstrates what interdisciplinary collaboration looks like in practice at Parul University. The Institute of Ayurveda and the Faculty of Engineering are not in the same building. They do not teach the same students. They do not share the same vocabulary.

But when a clinical need meets an engineering capability, the result is a device that could reach millions of patients who currently have no effective treatment option. This is what Parul Institute of Ayurved means by outcome-based learning: not learning for the sake of examination, but learning that produces something the world can use. Parul University’s Faculty of Ayurved’s courses are ranging from BAMS, Masters in Ayurveda, Certificate Programs to Health Sector Skill Program, they provide end to end support at all the levels.

The Karnadhoopan Device exists because the infrastructure to build it exists. Parul University’s Rs 58.31 crore in government-funded research and Rs 4.37 crore in private-funded research across 315 total funded projects creates the ecosystem where a project like this can move from idea to prototype to clinical pilot.

The DSIR-approved R&D Centre, the Industries Commissionerate of Gujarat funded us 1.5 cr and rest were invested by Micro Nano Research and Development Center, Parul University, the fabrication labs with rapid prototyping and 3D modelling, and the NABL-accredited Environmental Science Lab provide the physical infrastructure.

The GSBTM grant provides financial validation. The Ayurvedic hospitals (2 NABH-accredited) provide the clinical setting. And the 7 faculty members in the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2 Percent Scientists’ list provides the research culture where projects like such are expected, not exceptional. PU holds NAAC A++ (CGPA 3.55) in sync with NIRF Top 50 Innovations as well.

Read more on – Six Faculty Members from PU Ranked Among the 2024 Top 2% Scientists in the World