Patent ID: 7316167

Claim:
An apparatus for protecting an array of sensing devices that detect the contour of the object, each of the sensing devices operable to discriminate ridges from valleys of the object when an adjacent ridge and valley is spaced less than 800 microns apart, each of the sensing devices further including a top surface, the apparatus comprising: a contiguous sheet film protective covering adapted for placement over the top surface of the sensing devices, the sheet film protective covering including a plurality of layers, at least one of the layers enhancing mechanical damage resistance, and at least a top layer being conductive and grounded and wherein one of the layers of the contiguous sheet film protective covering is mylar and the top layer of the contiguous sheet film protective covering is a metallic film; wherein the top layer of the metallic film is contiguous; and wherein a thickness of the another polymer layer is between 3 micron and 50 micron.