11.2.7 Means-Plus-Function Claims (MPH Claims) are a type of patent claim defined by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). MPH Claims are a specific type of functional claiming that limits the scope of a patent’s protectionMPHPF Claims are used to protect a particular invention’s structure, material, or acts that are necessary to achieve a desired result. MPH Claims are defined by 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), which states that "an element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof." MPH Claims can be either structural or non-structural. Structural MPH Claims focus on the physical components of an invention that are necessary to perform a desired function. Non-structural MPH Claims are broader in scope and focus more on the functionality of an invention rather than its material components.