Intense focused ultrasound as a potential research tool for the quantification of diurnal inflammatory pain

► Intense focused ultrasound (iFU) can generate diagnostic sensations deep to the skin. ► We evaluate iFU as a way to quantify diurnal variation of inflammatory pain. ► We applied iFU to the inflamed paws of rats during the day and the night. ► Rats responded to lower iFU intensities during the day than the night. ► Consistent iFU response variation makes it useful to study diurnal pain.