3.2.4 Using the description and/or drawings to define clear terms given a definition different from their usual meaning 

The meaning given to a technical term in the description and/or the drawings sometimes differs from the one commonly accepted in the relevant technical field. The meaning given can make the term (and so the scope of the claim) broader (see Example 1) or narrower (see Example 2).

Example 1

Claim 1: Halide salt of compound A

"Halide salt" normally means fluoride, chloride, bromide or iodide salt.

Description: In the context of the present invention the term halide salt means fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide or tosylate salt.

Here, the claim at first appears to be clear because it uses a technical term ("halide salt") that has a clear and well-established meaning in the relevant technical field. However, the description gives this term a broader meaning than its well-established definition (i.e. it also includes tosylate salt).

Example 2

As in Example 1, except that the description defines "halide salt" as meaning fluoride, chloride or bromide salt.

Here, the meaning of "halide salt" is narrower than its well-established definition (i.e. it does not cover iodide salt).

In both cases, the search will take into account both the term's generally accepted definition in the relevant technical field and its definition in the application itself.