A thrombus disruption and removal system comprising: a catheter comprising a body defining a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween; a tubular shaft defining a proximal end, a distal end, an impeller attached near the distal end of the tubular shaft and configured to draw soft plaque and/or thrombus proximally toward the lumen of the catheter after disruption, and a guidewire lumen defined through the tubular shaft and the impeller, the tubular shaft adapted to translate and rotate the impeller relative to the distal end of the catheter body; a prime mover coupled to the proximal end of the tubular shaft and adapted to rotate the tubular shaft and impeller; a controller; characterised in that the controller comprises a processor adapted to execute programmed instructions stored within a memory, the controller in operational communication with the prime mover wherein the processor is adapted to determine the translational position of the impeller, whereby the processor is adapted to prevent rotation of the prime mover and the impeller if the impeller is determined to not be at least partially translated outside the lumen of the catheter and extending at least partially distally away from the distal end of the catheter body; where said instructions comprise at least: 1) information about the length of the tubular shaft that is extended from the prime mover; 2) the distance of a distal tip of the impeller from the prime mover along the tubular shaft; 3) instructions to prevent rotation of the prime mover, and thus the tubular shaft and impeller attached thereto, if the position of distal tip of the impeller within the lumen of the catheter is completely within the lumen and, therefore, does not extend beyond the distal end of the catheter body; and 4) instructions to allow rotation of the prime mover, tubular shaft and impeller only if at least a portion of the impeller extends distally away from the distal end of the catheter body and, therefore extending at least partially out of the catheter lumen. a catheter comprising a body defining a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween; a tubular shaft defining a proximal end, a distal end, an impeller attached near the distal end of the tubular shaft and configured to draw soft plaque and/or thrombus proximally toward the lumen of the catheter after disruption, and a guidewire lumen defined through the tubular shaft and the impeller, the tubular shaft adapted to translate and rotate the impeller relative to the distal end of the catheter body; a prime mover coupled to the proximal end of the tubular shaft and adapted to rotate the tubular shaft and impeller; a controller; characterised in that the controller comprises a processor adapted to execute programmed instructions stored within a memory, the controller in operational communication with the prime mover wherein the processor is adapted to determine the translational position of the impeller, whereby the processor is adapted to prevent rotation of the prime mover and the impeller if the impeller is determined to not be at least partially translated outside the lumen of the catheter and extending at least partially distally away from the distal end of the catheter body; where said instructions comprise at least: 1) information about the length of the tubular shaft that is extended from the prime mover; 2) the distance of a distal tip of the impeller from the prime mover along the tubular shaft; 3) instructions to prevent rotation of the prime mover, and thus the tubular shaft and impeller attached thereto, if the position of distal tip of the impeller within the lumen of the catheter is completely within the lumen and, therefore, does not extend beyond the distal end of the catheter body; and 4) instructions to allow rotation of the prime mover, tubular shaft and impeller only if at least a portion of the impeller extends distally away from the distal end of the catheter body and, therefore extending at least partially out of the catheter lumen. 1) information about the length of the tubular shaft that is extended from the prime mover; 2) the distance of a distal tip of the impeller from the prime mover along the tubular shaft; 3) instructions to prevent rotation of the prime mover, and thus the tubular shaft and impeller attached thereto, if the position of distal tip of the impeller within the lumen of the catheter is completely within the lumen and, therefore, does not extend beyond the distal end of the catheter body; and 4) instructions to allow rotation of the prime mover, tubular shaft and impeller only if at least a portion of the impeller extends distally away from the distal end of the catheter body and, therefore extending at least partially out of the catheter lumen.