EPO: Holistic Claim Construction in the Light of the Description under G 1/24

In this decision, the Board of Appeal addresses the interpretation of patent claims, applying and interpreting the fundamental principles established by the Enlarged Board of Appeal in its decision G 1/24. Claim construction is to be understood as a unified process in which the claims are read in the context of the description and the drawings, representing a holistic approach. The person skilled in the art will generally take a definition from the description at face value, provided that it is technically sensible and consistent with the teaching of the patent as a whole. This applies to both expanding and limiting aspects of the definition. The various formulations indicating that the description and drawings are to be used for interpretation ("consulting", "referring to", "using") are to be understood as synonyms. (EPA-BK 11.12.2025, T 0439/22)