the 與 said，都可以用來表示前面提過的元件，但the還可以用來表示前面雖然沒有提過但卻是某一元件的“固有成分”。例如，“the outer surface of said sphere”，前述使用方式是said所沒有的，請參考2173.05(e) 。
另外，使用said時表示“元件（限制條件）”，但使用the時可以表示“元件”或“功件（非限制條件）”，因此最好是不要在功件前加said。。請參考Landis 3.4：「Each succeeding mention of the same workpiece can be preceded by the definite article "the," but preferably not with the definit article "said" because that the word has typically been used for referring back to a previous actual claim element.」
剛入行的時候，讀Landis說“said”比較常用，所以小弟一開始都使用“said”，直到被前輩要求改成“the”，才知道使用“the”的好處，就是不用想太多。
雖然，the有表示前面雖然沒有提過但卻是某一元件的“固有成分”的功能，但是也建議不要用。幾年來的經驗告訴我，不是每個審查委員都知道或買單，花費精力向審查委員解釋或答辯，只是自找麻煩而已。後來即使是固有成分，也老實地先提「the spherehaving an outer surface, the outer surface of the sphere is ...... 」。
2173.05(e) Lack of Antecedent Basis
Inherent components of elements recited have antecedent basis in therecitation of the components themselves. For example, the limitation “theouter surface of said sphere” would not require an antecedent recitation that the sphere has an outer surface. See Bose Corp. v. JBL, Inc., 274 F.3d1354, 1359, 61 USPQ2d 1216, 1218-19 (Fed. Cir 2001) (holding that recitationof “an ellipse” provided antecedent basis for “an ellipse having a majordiameter” because “[t]here can be no dispute that mathematically aninherent characteristic of an ellipse is a major diameter”).
