MPEP-Transitional#0024

The transitional phrases “comprising”, “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of” define the scope of a claim with respect to what unrecited additional components or steps, if any, are excluded from the scope of the claim.

The transitional term “comprising”, which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or“ characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

The transitional phrase “consisting of” excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.