What should be included in a patent specification?

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.

A patent specification should include:

• A written description of the invention
• The manner and process of making and using the invention
• The best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention
• One or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention

As stated in 37 CFR 1.71(a): “The specification must include a written description of the invention or discovery and of the manner and process of making and using the same, and is required to be in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which the invention or discovery appertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same.”