Abstract: A foot therapy device including a portable housing with an annular wall having an upper edge and defining a reservoir for retaining a volume of liquid to be used during foot therapy; a lid covering a given portion of the reservoir and secured to a continuous portion of the upper edge; and a liquid seal member disposed between the lid and the given upper edge portion.

Abstract: A portable inhalator including a housing defining an inhalation chamber with a discharge opening for accommodating a breath supporting body portion, an exhaust passage terminating with an exhaust opening and isolated from the inhalation chamber, and a liquid reservoir communicating therewith. Also included are a burner for heating liquid in the reservoir, a fuel canister removably supported by the housing, and a valve for controlling fuel flow between the canister and the burner.

Abstract: A solid state process for the bulk conversion of a dense polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body has been accomplished by heating the polycrystalline material to a temperature above one-half of the melting temperature of the material but below the melting point of the material. As the process is a solid state process, no melting of the ceramic body is necessary to convert it to a single crystal. The process has been used to convert a dense polycrystalline alumina body (PCA) containing less than 100 wppm of magnesia to sapphire (single crystal alumina) by heating the PCA to temperatures above 1100.degree. C. but below 2050.degree. C., the melting point of alumina.

Abstract: Polycrystalline alumina bodies have been converted to sapphire by a solid state conversion process in which a localized energy source is used to heat only a portion of the body to a temperature above 1800.degree. C. Using a laser as the energy source resulted in conversion to sapphire in less than an hour. The polycrystalline alumina bodies had a magnesia content below 50 wppm, an average grain size below 100 microns, and a density greater than 3.97 g/cc.