THE PATENT APPLICATION: REQUIREMENTS
Before a patent is issued by the United States Patent & Trademark Office, a detailed application must be prepared and filed with the USPTO clearly specifying what the invention is and how it can be made and used. A patent application includes an abstract, claims, a declaration, a governmental filing fee, and typically several sheets of drawing figures.
The most important part of a patent application are the claims. The claims define the metes and bounds of the invention and are the foundation upon which your intellectual property rights are based. An experienced patent attorney is able to carefully draft claims to ensure that potential infringers are prevented from making, using, or selling an invention despite insignificant modifications or improvements to the patented product. The claims of a patent are analogous to the property lines on a parcel of real estate and can be used to prevent unlawful encroachment by others.
I would recommend you consult with a patent attorney to assist you with the preparation of a quality patent application, as it entails countless hours of painstaking attention to the nuances of a new idea and is wildely recognized as the single most difficult legal document to draft.