Alternate stimulation strategies for perception of speech

1. A system, comprising:

a first prosthetic device configured to evoke a hearing percept based on a first ambient sound; and

a second non-invasive device configured to stimulate skin based on a second ambient sound generated by a voice, wherein

the first device is a cochlear implant, and

at least one of:

(i) the second device is a vibrator; or

(ii) the cochlear implant is configured to electrically stimulate a cochlea of a recipient;

and

the second device is an electrical stimulator configured to electrically stimulate skin of a recipient.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is configured to stimulate skin without evoking a hearing percept when attached to a recipient of the system having at least a partially functioning cochlea.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second ambient sound is the same as the first ambient sound.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second ambient sound is a subset of the first ambient sound.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is the vibrator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the cochlear implant is configured to electrically stimulate the cochlea of the recipient; and

the second device is the electrical stimulator configured to electrically stimulate skin of the recipient.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is a behind-the-ear device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is a vibrator having a resonant frequency no greater than about 600 Hz.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is a vibrator having a resonant frequency no greater than about 550 Hz.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is a vibrator having a resonant frequency no greater than about 500 Hz.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device includes a plurality of vibrators having different resonant frequencies.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second device is a button sound capture device configured to wirelessly communicate with the first prosthetic device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the second non-invasive device is configured to stimulate the skin via delivery of skin stimulation in the form of vibrational energy at only a single frequency.

14. A system, comprising:

a hearing prosthesis configured to evoke a hearing percept based on a first captured sound;

a hand-held electronic device in communication with the hearing prosthesis, wherein the hand-held electronic device is configured to stimulate skin based on the first captured sound, wherein

the hand-held electronic device includes a vibrational apparatus configured to deliver the skin stimulation in the form of vibrational energy at only a single frequency.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the hand-held electronic device has a hearing prosthesis control functionality.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the hearing prosthesis is a cochlear implant; and

the vibrational apparatus of the hand-held electronic device includes a vibrator.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the vibrational apparatus has a resonant frequency no greater than about 600 Hz.

18. A method, comprising:

evoking a hearing percept in a recipient based on a first ambient sound; and

simultaneously evoking a tactile percept in the recipient based on a second ambient sound, wherein the evoked tactile percept does not evoke a hearing percept.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the first ambient sound and the second ambient sound are the same sound.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

wherein the tactical percept corresponds to delivery of skin stimulation in the form of vibrational energy at only a single frequency.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the recipient has at least a partially functioning cochlea.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

a device that is attached to skin of the recipient is utilized to evoke the tactile percept.