Patent ID: 8489201

Claim:
An applicator apparatus supplying RF power for therapeutic diathermic treatment of a patient comprising: a radiation shielding device for shielding said applicator apparatus against misapplication of radiation to objects in the surroundings and unintended areas of the patient's body; and a coupling device for electrically coupling said radiation shielding device to at least one point of the body of said patient in a low impedance manner that reduces the potential drop from the grounded radiation shield to the body tissue, wherein: said radiation shielding device comprises a conductive grid: said coupling device comprises at least one conductive pad electrically connected to said conductive grid and providing capacitive coupling to the body of said patient at said at least one point; said conductive grid adjacent its periphery comprises radially extending spurs or fingers curved around the non-radiation-applying areas of the applicator; and each pad is adjacent the distal end of one radial spur or finger.