AbstractLifetime measurements in $^{178}$ 178 Pt with excited states de-exciting through $γ $ γ -ray transitions and internal electron conversions have been performed. Ionic charges were selected by the in-flight mass separator MARA and measured at the focal plane in coincidence with the $4_1^+→ 2_1^+$ 4 1 + → 2 1 + $257\,$ 257 keV $γ $ γ -ray transition detected using the JUROGAM 3 spectrometer. The resulting charge-state distributions were analysed using the differential decay curve method (DDCM) framework to obtain a lifetime value of 430(20) ps for the $2_1^+$ 2 1 + state. This work builds on a method that combines the charge plunger technique with the DDCM analysis. As an alternative analysis, ions were selected in coincidence with the $^{178}$ 178 Pt alpha decay ($E_{\mathrm {alpha}} = 5.458(5)$ E alpha = 5.458 ( 5 ) MeV) at the focal plane. Lifetime information was obtained by fitting a two-state Bateman equation to the decay curve with the lifetime of individual states defined by a single quadrupole moment. This yielded a lifetime value of 430(50) ps for the $2_1^+$ 2 1 + state, and 54(6) ps for the $4_1^+$ 4 1 + state. An analysis method based around the Bateman equation will become especially important when using the charge plunger method for the cases where utilising coincidences between prompt $γ $ γ rays and recoils is not feasible.