Hōgyoku

The also refered as The Orb of Distortion, is a small orb that dissolves the boundary between a Shinigami and a Hollow. It can allow a Shinigami to use Hollow powers and vice-versa. As Sōsuke Aizen reveals to Orihime Inoue, continued use of the orb while it is in a dormant state seems to weaken it. He claims that he brought her to Las Noches to repair it, though this later turns out not to be the case. This item lay dormant in the untraceable faux body that Rukia was in during the Soul Society arc of the manga and anime. The hōgyoku is also referred to as the Breakdown Sphere, and was accidentaly created by Kisuke Urahara, whom was terminated from the Soul Society for creating it. It can also stabilize souls, as seen when Urahara used it on the vizard.