14 if the packer element 14 is injection molded the sensors 20 can be formed into the packer element 14 by suspending the sensors 20 in a packer element mold with a mechanical holding device such as a small diameter rod or wire which can be withdrawn after the mold is filled with an elastomeric material but before the elastomeric material has set if the packer element 14 is formed by an elastomeric component such as is the case with inflatable packer elements which are formed in a u201c lay up u201d process the sensors 20 can be placed into the layered up structure at the appropriate depth between layers as the construction process progresses as shown in the drawing the sensors 20 can be placed at various locations in the packer element 14 and can be both axially spaced and radially spaced relative to the packer element 14 the sensors 20 can be fabricated according to one of several high temperature fabrication processes similar to those used in fabricating integrated circuits for example a conventional insulated bulk complementary metal oxide silicon process using silicon on insulator fabrication technologies can be used also the embedded sensors 20 and their associated circuits can be constructed using known silicon on sapphire fabrications processes the sensors 20 can be designed to sense one or more of several parameters or conditions associated with the packer.