How should the Brief Summary of Invention relate to the claims in a patent application?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

The Brief Summary of Invention should be closely aligned with the claims in a patent application. MPEP 608.01(d) states, “Such summary should, when set forth, be commensurate with the invention as claimed and any object recited should be that of the invention as claimed.” Additionally, the MPEP emphasizes that “The brief summary of invention should be consistent with the subject matter of the claims.” This means that the summary should accurately reflect the invention as it is defined in the claims, focusing on the key aspects that make the invention patentable.